State’s Job Licensing Review Getting Bipartisan Support

Bipartisan support evident for renewed license policy
By: Catherine Sweeney, The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY – When state Department of Labor officials introduced their push to update licensing laws, they said the movement had bipartisan support. That became clear during a panel discussion Wednesday.

Last week, officials announced they would create a blueprint for new licensing regulations so that lawmakers can gauge whether licensing is necessary or if there’s a less strict way to regulate an industry. For example, they could mandate a registration, which doesn’t require the same amount of costly training. They could also allow the workers to get certified through a trade organization and let that stand. The move has sparked a conversation on whether the state should reassess some of the licensing requirements already on the books.

A few speakers came in, including one from a national libertarian organization and a few from local policy think tanks. They noted their political leanings and often made jokes about them.

Tom Newell resigned from his state representative post before the legislative session began to work for the Foundation for Government Accountability. That is a conservative national think tank that advocates for limited government spending. He sat next to Courtney Cullison, a policy analyst at the progressive Oklahoma Policy Institute.